The underfloor heating system can hardly be called a novelty in the construction market, because even in the era of the ancient Romans it was successfully used to heat marble buildings. In those days, architects tried to design houses in such a way that the steam coming out of the bath heated the floors and walls of adjacent rooms.
Since then, many new technologies have appeared, and today not only steam, but water and electric heating systems are available to us. All of them are quite actively used for space heating, but infrared floors have gained the most popularity.
Why are they so in demand, what features do they have and how infrared film works, we will consider in this article.
The principle of film flooring
The principle of operation of infrared heating lies in the radiation of thermal rays by the film. This process can be compared to the heating of the earth under the influence of the sun. Its rays warm the earth, water, buildings, and those, in turn, give off heat to the surrounding space.
Infrared film works in a similar way. By itself, it is very thin (from 0.2 to 0.4 mm), while it consists of three layers:
- The heating element is responsible for converting electrical energy into heat.
- The foil acts as a conductor for uniform heat distribution over the entire surface of the film.
- Protective coating prevents damage and moisture penetration to work items.
In simple terms, the heating process begins with the fact that the electric current, entering the heating element, is converted into thermal energy, which heats the film. She, in turn, warms up the floor covering, which gives the received heat to the objects standing in the room.
Specifications
To understand how much infrared heating film you need and what is necessary for its proper functioning, you need to familiarize yourself with its technical characteristics. It will be useful to know that:
- film is available in rolls with a maximum length of 50 cm;
- width of one roll varies within 0.5-1 meters;
- installed system powered by 220V;
- energy consumption per day (on average) from 20 to 70 W/m²;
- maximum daily energy consumption is 210W/m²;
- heating up to the maximum possible temperature occurs in 2-3 minutes;
- average weight per roll is 55kg;
- the surface temperature of the operating film mayreach 50 degrees.
In order for the system to heat the room well, it must cover at least 80% of the entire floor surface.
In this case, energy savings will be more than 25%. When choosing infrared products, please note that high-quality infrared floor heating film should have a warranty period of about 10 years.
Advantages of wave heating
The film heating system has a number of advantages over other home heating options available today. According to users, these include the following facts:
- Infrared floor film is very easy to install. For its installation, it is not required to dismantle the old base. If the surface is sufficiently flat, it should simply be vacuumed and insulated.
- After installing this system, the ceiling height in the room remains at the same level, which is very important for owners of low rooms.
- The installed film does not need to be poured with a concrete screed, which reduces the repair time and avoids additional costs.
- Absolutely any floor covering can be laid on top of the heating layer.
- The film evenly heats the room, which eliminates the appearance of temperature differences in different corners of the room.
- The system is able to withstand strong dynamic loads, making it suitable for use even in public facilities.
- Energy consumption with this heating method is much lower, according tocompared to the cost of using other heating appliances.
- Infrared film is mobile. When moving to another place of residence, it can be easily rolled up and laid out on a different surface.
- The heating element can easily withstand sudden power surges, so the service life of film floors is quite long. If one segment still fails, the rest of the system modules will continue to work.
Flaws
Unfortunately, even the most innovative materials are not without negative qualities, and this type of heating is no exception. What are the disadvantages of infrared film? Customer reviews speak of the following negative aspects of this product:
- when in contact with sharp and thin objects, the system quickly fails;
- Electrostatic surfaces in the room increase, and they attract more dust;
- Infrared film for underfloor heating is very afraid of moisture;
- heavy furniture should not be installed in places where this rolled material is laid, as this will lead to overheating of the module, and it will quickly fail;
- purchasing infrared film will cost the buyer a tidy sum. The cost of 1 sq. m of the system (with installation) reaches about 700 rubles, so it is more often used in small rooms.
Types of films and their applications
All film heaters are similar in their structure and principle of operation. Depending on the manufacturer, the infrared heating film may differappearance, width, thickness and maximum heating temperature. The latter indicator greatly affects the choice of installation method and the use of this system. Let's see how.
The fact is that the maximum temperature of the heated film can reach about 50 degrees, and not every floor covering can withstand such a thermal effect.
If the IR system will be laid under linoleum or laminate, you should choose products that heat up no more than 27 degrees. But under a ceramic coating, this option is unsuitable, since it will not be able to warm up a sufficiently thick material. In this case, you can choose high-temperature systems (which warm up more than 45 degrees).
Universal heating film (infrared) can be installed on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. The thinnest varieties are laid exclusively on the floor.
How to choose the right option
Modern infrared film for underfloor heating is very diverse, which can confuse the most collected buyers. However, when making a choice, it is important to simply consider in what conditions it will be used.
If your house already has centralized heating, but you want to install an additional heat source (in poorly heated rooms) - give preference to low-temperature products. It will not increase your electricity consumption much and will make your home much warmer.
To heat balconies more oftenuse wall or ceiling panels. And if you need to heat a large and damp room, choose a film with a power of 300 W / m².
For sauna or drying room equipment, purchase 400 W/m² film products.
What to pay special attention to when purchasing IR film
A truly reliable product has the basic characteristics of a quality product. Namely:
Infrared warm film must be made from a high quality and flame retardant polymer. Its distinctive feature is a milky shade. Transparencies are short-lived and deform quickly when exposed to high temperatures
- The conductive strip must be made of copper and have a width of at least 15 cm. No damage is allowed in this area.
- The silver stripe should extend slightly beyond the copper bar. Well, if it has clear contours and does not shine through. Experts advise giving preference to options in which the silver content is at least 70%.
- Also pay attention to the type of connection of the copper and silver strip. If they are interconnected with glue, this option is less durable. A “dry” connection is considered more reliable, using high pressure and temperature.
- When choosing the type of the main active element, you should not give preference to a non-standard arrangement of heating elements. Curly coatings do not affect the operation of the system in any way, thereforeIt makes no sense to overpay for them.
- The protective laminating film (located on both sides of the product) must be of the same quality as the backing. Thinner material is not recommended.
- Give preference to products made by professional manufacturers, as cheap film can warp from heat and thereby damage expensive flooring.
- While in the store, ask the seller to check the heating speed of the film. High-quality options should become warm in a couple of seconds from the moment they are connected to the network.
- Consider the width of the product. As practice shows, the narrower the roll, the greater the risk of overheating the system. If you have a small room, solid infrared film is the best option.
Preparing the base for laying the film
So, when you have acquired all the necessary materials, it's time to think about their styling. As mentioned earlier, the process of installing infrared floors is quite simple, but each step should be given maximum attention.
First of all, it is necessary to properly prepare the base for laying the film.
If the old concrete screed is sufficiently even, it does not need to be dismantled. In this case, you can limit yourself to cleaning debris and dust. Very often, in the process of preparing the base, cracks and chips are found on its surface. These defects must be carefully covered with any suitable adhesive or mortar.
If the screed is already starting to move away from the subfloor, it must be dismantled and poured again. If the base is stillstrong enough, but it has a large number of drops and chips, the surface is leveled with a small layer of self-leveling floors.
Special attention should be paid to the joints between the walls and the floor, as cracks in the corners of the room can cause large heat losses. All chips, recesses and other defects are embroidered, cleaned and filled with polyurethane foam.
When the repair materials are completely dry, the screed is re-cleaned of dust, and the excess sealant is cut off.
On top of a flat base, a heat-insulating material is laid and fixed, on which an infrared film for the floor will be laid. Most often, a foamed polyethylene reflector is used for these purposes. Its structure allows you to compensate for the slightest differences on the surface and protect the expensive film from damage. The foil side reflects the heat so it doesn't escape into the floor.
The joints of adjacent canvases are glued with a special tape. On this, the preparation of the base can be considered completed.
Self-installation of underfloor heating system
Mounting infrared film is easy even for beginners. In this case, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and not neglect the basic rules.
So, let's look at how to install an infrared film with your own hands.
During the installation of underfloor heating, it is first necessary to determine where the temperature controller will be installed. This will help you understand how to correctly position the film on the base andmake a preliminary markup. Please note that the film should be laid only on open areas of the floor, it is better not to cover the places where the furniture will stand
- According to the markup, measure the desired length of the film.
- The required amount of material is unwound from the roll and it is cut very carefully along the indicated lines. Usually they are indicated by a scissors pattern or a dotted line.
- The material is laid with copper strips to the base. The cut infrared film is placed along the markings and fixed to the base with adhesive tape or silicone sealant.
- In the heat-insulating substrate, recesses are made in which wires, terminals and a temperature sensor will be located. The work must be done so that the listed elements do not protrude above the surface of the film.
- The temperature sensor is located in the center of the heating strip, at a distance of at least 50 cm from the wall. Its wire is connected to the temperature controller.
- Next, the terminals are installed and crimped to the silver tires of the heating element. Wires are connected to the terminals.
- Now the places of all connections must be carefully insulated. On both sides of the terminals, special tar linings are used. The exit points of copper busbars from each cut edge of the film are treated in the same way.
- The next step is to connect all the wires to the temperature controller, after which it is attached to the wall.
- At the end of the installation, the correctness of all connections and the operability of the heating system are checked.
Safety during work
To ensure that the infrared film for space heating does not immediately fail and serve you for many years, pay attention to the rules that should be observed during its installation.
- Film strips should be positioned so that they are a short distance from the wall (from 12 to 40 cm).
- Never overlap adjacent canvases, as this is unsafe! The optimal distance between two strips is 5 mm.
- Installation of the thermostat should be carried out at a height of 10-20 cm from the floor level.
- It is not recommended to lay the film in a length of more than 8 meters.
- Do not lay the underfloor heating system in high humidity and sub-zero temperatures.
- It is unacceptable for the wires connecting the film and the thermostat to cross on the surface of the base.
- The rolled material is laid without bends and kinks. It is forbidden to fix it to the surface with screws!
- Some types of infrared floors can only be installed using branded clips that come with the film.
Summing up, I would like to note that the use of infrared film allows you to create an optimal microclimate in the room. Unlike stationary heating, it does not dry the air, does not “eat up” oxygen and has a positive effect on the human body.
Ease of installation makes the systemunderfloor heating available to a wide range of the population, because everyone can install it with their own hands.
We hope that after reading our article, you have found answers to all your questions. We wish you easy repairs and warmth in your home!
